Historical Mapping Made Easy-Peasy

As an owner of the original Blackline Maps of World History, published by Knowledge Quest, I cannot tell you how surprised I was when I learned that the entire series was being revised.  I mean, this hefty book containing historical maps from 5000BC to the present age and corresponding lesson plans already topped my list of resources without which I cannot live.  Well, I could, but why would I want to try, given the option?  Don't be silly.

"Could this resource truly be improved?" thought I.

No way.  No how.  I was convinced.

But boy, was I wrong!

Yes, the maps contained within Knowledge Quest's new Map Trek series are more beautiful, but that's not the kicker for me.  Colorful maps only tax my printer's ink supply and leave less room for my children's creativity.  So, it's not the beauty of the maps which thrill me.

Yes, the maps are available in both hardcover w/CD-ROM and easy-peasy PDF formats, so I can copy or print the ones I want and when I want.  Meh.  

Yes, I can even purchase each historical era set separately and as I go.  There's the Ancient World, Medieval World,  New World, Modern World, and a complete and separate US Edition.  OR, I can bundle them all up together at a discount.  But still, I wasn't overly excited even about this, and discounts really, really excite me.

Nope, what tickles me to the core are the expanded lesson plans, which require the student to dig a bunch deeper than before and are also separated into grade or ability levels.  

This--yes, THIS--I dig!  

Previously, the lesson plans contained two and perhaps no more than four directed mapping activities per map, but NOW!  Now, we're talking some serious mapping, depending how far you or your students want to run with it. 

Yahooey!

But wait.

This summer, Knowledge Quest went an extra mile for us by creating and publishing, for our FREE access, Curriculum Integration Guides, which coordinate each of the maps with a whole multitude of the most popular history books and curriculums, such as A Child's History of the World, The Story of the World series, Streams of Civilizations, Volume I and Volume II, Veritas Press, Sonlight, My Father's World, Ambleside Online and my personal favorite for the intermediate and higher grades,  Truthquest. 

Now, you know how I feel about FREE, right?!   Love it.

But, as a single mom, do you have any idea how I feel about someone doing this kind of organizational leg-work for me, so that I have more time to spend sweetly sleeping instead of midnight lesson planning into the wee hours whilst drinking more tea than the Queen of England??!!  

Love, love, LOVE it!

Now, I'm wondering what to do with this honking book of blackline maps: flower-pressing, money-stashing, tea-leaves reading...?  The possibilities are not endless.  Any ideas?